Putative mechanism of the sugar formation on prebiotic Earth initiated by UV-radiation

Pestunova, O. P.; Simonov, Alexandr N.; Снытников, В. Н.; Stoyanovsky, V. O.; Parmon, Valentin N.

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.049

Cited by 36 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The first hypothesis on the autocatalytic nature of the FR was put forward in 1924 after the discovery of a notable increase in the rate of the process upon addition of the formose product to the initial reaction mixture. [16] Further, it was revealed that the induction period, which is typical of the kinetics of the FR (see [17,18] and Figure 1), is eliminated or notably shortened upon introduction of small amounts of particular organic compounds. Namely, higher and lower monosaccharides, benzoin and its derivatives, malic acid, ethoxyacetaldehyde, and acetoin stimulate conversion of formaldehyde to carbohydrates, while polyols, acetone, pentaacetylfructose, or polysaccharides exert no influence on the duration of the induction period of the FR.…”

Section: General Principles Of the Formose System Operationmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…However, it was found later that this ability is not compulsory for the initiators of the FR. The nature of organic co-catalysts impacts the duration of the induction period only but does not alter the rate of the monosaccharides formation [17,18,20] or the composition of the product mixture. [17,18,21] In 1980, it was postulated that the FR does not proceed at all in the absence of organic co-catalysts; that is, the presence of the latter determines not only the duration of the induction period, but also is mandatory for the initiation of the synthesis of monosaccharides from formaldehyde.…”

Section: General Principles Of the Formose System Operationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Catalytic Formation of Monosaccharides: From the Formose Reaction towards Selective Synthesis

et al. 2014

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The formose reaction (FR) has been long the focus of intensive investigations as a simple method for synthesis of complex biologically important monosaccharides and other sugar-like molecules from the simplest organic substrate-formaldehyde. The fundamental importance of the FR is predominantly connected with the ascertainment of plausible scenarios of chemical evolution which could have occurred on the prebiotic Earth to produce the very first molecules of carbohydrates, amino- and nucleic acids, as well as other vitally important substances. The practical importance of studies on the FR is the elaboration of catalytic methods for the synthesis of rare and non-natural monosaccharides and polyols. This Minireview considers the FR from the point of view of chemists working in the field of catalysis with emphasis on the mechanisms of numerous parallel and consequent catalytic transformations that take place during the FR. Based on its kinetics, the FR may be considered as a non-radical chain process with degenerate branching. The Minireview also considers different approaches to the control of selectivity of carbohydrate synthesis from formaldehyde and lower monosaccharides.

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Section: General Principles Of the Formose System Operationmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: General Principles Of the Formose System Operationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Catalytic Formation of Monosaccharides: From the Formose Reaction towards Selective Synthesis

et al. 2014

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“…The SSML may have been a crucial setting for prebiotic synthesis or polymerization reactions due to an abundance of both organic material and external energy sources. Attenuation of UV light in the water column results in a comparatively high abundance of photons at the SSML, and while often associated with its destructive potential for biomolecules, a variety of biochemically useful molecules have been synthesized under UV light, including deoxyribose, ribose, amino acids, aldehydes, and uracil (Shigemasa et al, 1977;Folsome et al, 1983;Pestunova et al, 2005;Nuevo et al, 2009), perhaps creating an oil slick at the sea surface (Lasaga et al, 1971;Nilson, 2002).The SSML is rich in organic and inorganic materials collected from both the atmosphere and ocean, held in place by buoyancy, electrostatic attraction, physical or chemical adsorption, and surface tension (Hunter & Liss, 1977;Sieburth, 1983;Liss & Duce, 1997). Material from the water column is transported to the sea surface via a number of processes including diffusion, turbulent mixing, bubble and particle transport, and large-scale circulation driven by wind (Langmuir circulation), tidal forces, and internal waves (Frew, 1997).…”

Section: Sea-surface Microlayermentioning

confidence: 99%

Did life originate from a global chemical reactor?

et al. 2013

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Many decades of experimental and theoretical research on the origin of life have yielded important discoveries regarding the chemical and physical conditions under which organic compounds can be synthesized and polymerized. However, such conditions often seem mutually exclusive, because they are rarely encountered in a single environmental setting. As such, no convincing models explain how living cells formed from abiotic constituents. Here, we propose a new approach that considers the origin of life within the global context of the Hadean Earth. We review previous ideas and synthesize them in four central hypotheses: (i) Multiple microenvironments contributed to the building blocks of life, and these niches were not necessarily inhabitable by the first organisms; (ii) Mineral catalysts were the backbone of prebiotic reaction networks that led to modern metabolism; (iii) Multiple local and global transport processes were essential for linking reactions occurring in separate locations; (iv) Global diversity and local selection of reactants and products provided mechanisms for the generation of most of the diverse building blocks necessary for life. We conclude that no single environmental setting can offer enough chemical and physical diversity for life to originate. Instead, any plausible model for the origin of life must acknowledge the geological complexity and diversity of the Hadean Earth. Future research may therefore benefit from identifying further linkages between organic precursors, minerals, and fluids in various environmental contexts.

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“…Independently, Haldane, building upon the achievements of virology, proposed that the life started from bacteriophage-like molecules synthesized under the influence of the Sun's radiation in the primordial "hot dilute soup" [5]. It has been repeatedly demonstrated [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] that simple building blocks such as amino acids or nucleobases could form from simpler compounds, provided that energy was delivered as UV light or electric discharges (see [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] for surveys of research on the origin of life, and a section below devoted to the more detailed consideration of particular concepts).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%